As Uzumaki Chiana lifted the blanket and sat up completely naked from the bed, the entire tent fell into a moment of stunned silence.
Not just Bai—even Naruto couldn't make sense of her behavior.
She was the one who wanted to hide, yet now she was the first to jump out?
"Listen to me," Chiana said seriously, raising a slender finger to lecture Bai. "If you prank your friend this time, she'll want to get even. What if she tortures you next time?"
"When will the cycle of revenge end?"
She spoke as though giving heartfelt advice, but to everyone else, her behavior was downright erratic.
Naruto couldn't tell what was more chaotic: the current situation, or her sense of logic.
"Who are you? Why are you meddling in my business?" Bai replied with a bitter smile.
The maternal warmth radiating from this woman was overwhelming. Her presence alone was... a lot to take in.
Bai had a feeling—no, a warning—that this woman might be her greatest rival when it came to competing for Naruto's affection.
After all, who wouldn't be drawn to someone so unashamedly bold? Especially a man like Naruto.
"I'm not trying to control you."
Sensing the hostility in Bai's tone, Uzumaki Chiana frowned slightly. "I'm just advising you to get along with your companions. You two are..."
As she spoke, her eyes drifted to Naruto, and she continued,
"You two are like family now, aren't you? And how can a family scheme and plot against each other?"
Only then did Chiana realize her attire was still highly revealing. Her face flushed slightly, and she modestly adjusted her clothes and fastened a few buttons.
The way her cheongsam clung to her body didn't hide anything—it only made her more alluring.
"I don't take advice from anyone except Lord Naruto."
Bai's tone had turned from indifferent to ice-cold.
Perhaps realizing her words had backfired, Uzumaki Chiana was stunned. She slowly knelt beside Naruto, her body slick with sweat as it trickled between her thighs and dripped onto the bed.
"Huh?" Bai's expression went from cold to livid.
Okay, seriously—she leaves for just a little while and someone steals everything?
"Lord Naruto," Bai snapped, "is something wrong with her brain?"
Sensing Bai's rising anger, Uzumaki Chiana grabbed Naruto's shoulders, crawled onto his back like a spoiled cat, then gently covered his ears and whispered in front of Bai and her three pet companions.
Of course, Bai wasn't just any shinobi. Even if they whispered, she could hear every word as if it were spoken aloud.
"Who are you calling brain-damaged?!"
Bai stood abruptly, her voice ringing with fury as she glared daggers at Chiana.
She didn't mind being scolded by Naruto. She didn't even mind being hit by him.
But if anyone else dared to talk down to her, it wasn't just annoying—it was unbearable.
"You're being too loud," Naruto said with a frown. "Kneel."
Silence fell over the tent like a stone.
Outside, only the crackle of firewood could be heard.
Bai's three pet subordinates from the Snow Country immediately dropped to their knees, terrified they'd be dragged into Naruto's wrath.
Naruto clearly favored Chiana, and Bai knew it. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"Oh…"
Under Naruto's gaze, she slowly knelt, clinging tightly to his legs. Her shoulders trembled as she buried her face, softly sobbing.
Chiana, who had just scolded her, now looked guilty seeing her curled up like a pitiful child.
She nudged Naruto's shoulder with her finger and whispered, "Why were you so harsh? I didn't even provoke you."
Naruto raised a brow. "Are you serious?"
Chiana mumbled, "You should apologize to her and help her up."
Naruto rolled his eyes and muttered a curse under his breath. What boss apologizes to their employee?
He sighed. "You've been spying on me for days now. Don't you know what kind of person Bai is?"
With that, Naruto reached out and grabbed Bai by the hair.
"What are you doing?!" Chiana cried out.
But in the next second, Bai's face was pulled upward—and Chiana was stunned.
Her cheeks were crimson like autumn apples, and the stars in her eyes shimmered brightly.
There was no sign of grievance at all.
She hadn't been crying out of sorrow—she'd been stifling her laughter, afraid her giggling would ruin Naruto's mood.
"As long as it's Lord Naruto," Bai said dreamily, "I can accept anything... even being bullied."
She gently held Naruto's hand that was gripping her hair, kissed his palm, and smiled with utter bliss.
Chiana felt a shiver down her spine.
This world was seriously messed up.
First it was Mikoto, now this weirdo named Bai. Why were they all so... strange?
"Alright, shut it for now. Let me try out my new toy."
Naruto shoved Bai aside and turned toward the two Snow Country queens.
Then he looked back at Bai. "Go keep watch outside. Stop anyone who tries to come in."
"Yes!" Bai responded instantly. She didn't seem bothered at all by being kicked out.
In fact, just knowing that Lord Naruto was about to be with another woman was a joy for her.
That said, she didn't like the idea of the other woman getting too smug about it.
Fenghua Xiaoxue had been bad enough.
But this red-haired woman—Uzumaki Chiana—was even worse.
Before leaving the tent, Bai gave Chiana a deadly glare.
She wasn't just competition for Naruto's attention—she actually had the nerve to stop Naruto from bullying her.
Unforgivable.
"Just wait," Bai muttered under her breath. "Sooner or later, you'll know how real I am."
Once Bai had gone, Naruto ignored Chiana still sitting on the bed and walked toward Koyuki's mother.
She wasn't as beautiful as the younger queen, nor did she have a figure like Chiana or Fubuki.
But right now, Naruto found her more attractive than anyone else—for one simple reason.
She was Koyuki's mother.
Just like how Nara Yoshino and Uchiha Mikoto had once drawn him in—simply because they were the mothers of Shikamaru and Sasuke.
There was something uniquely thrilling about that seniority.
"What's your name?" Naruto asked, grabbing the woman's chin and tilting her face up.
She hesitated. "I'm... Uzumaki Nobuko."
"…?"
Naruto and Chiana exchanged puzzled looks.
Chiana was the first to speak: "There's never been a black-haired member of the Uzumaki clan. I've never seen one."
Realizing she had spoken carelessly, she quickly added, "I've seen two Jinchūriki from the Uzumaki clan before. None of them had black hair."
Naruto smiled faintly and turned back to the woman.
"My name's not really Uzumaki Nobuko," she confessed, clearly intimidated. "That name was given to me by the woman who just left…"
"My real name is Fenghua Nobuko."
Of course it was.
Totally something Bai would do.
She even gave herself the name Uzumaki Shiro. Poor Zabuza—he never got to give Haku his name.
"The name doesn't matter," Naruto said, squatting down to look into Nobuko's eyes. "What matters… is what you call me from now on."
Meanwhile, in the Snow Country's royal palace—
Fuuka Koyuki sat atop the throne, having taken control of the country with almost no resistance. It had taken less than an hour thanks to the help of the rebel army and Uchiha Sasuke's Konoha ninja team.
For some, it was a time of celebration. For others, fear.
All the ministers who had once sworn loyalty to Fenghua Nutao trembled, afraid of retaliation.
Neji Hyuga and Shikamaru Nara had finally cleared up their misunderstandings. They'd learned that Naruto had rescued their fellow Konoha ninja with the help of the rebels.
Everyone was alive and well.
Only Akamaru had gone missing, reportedly taken by Orochimaru. No one knew where the dog was now.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Shikamaru said respectfully, "for helping Konoha. We'll report your assistance to the Hokage."
Fuuka Koyuki, seated on the throne, smiled modestly. "No need to thank me. They were captured protecting me. Helping them is the least I can do."
She felt awkward saying it.
After all, she hadn't done anything—Naruto had handled everything. Even these diplomatic lines were ones Naruto had rehearsed with her.
Still, the alliance was formally established.
Shikamaru noticed a faint sadness in Koyuki's eyes and asked, "Your Highness, is something troubling you? Can we help?"
Koyuki tapped her fingers on the armrest, then lowered her eyes.
"Three of you entered the palace before I did," she said quietly. "You should know the layout better than I do."
"I want to ask... did you see a woman who resembles me? A little shorter, more mature?"
They shook their heads. Neji responded gently, "We searched thoroughly, but no one fitting that description was found."
Koyuki's heart sank.
She had feared as much, but hearing it aloud still crushed her.
If her mother—the former queen—wasn't here… then she had likely been killed by Fenghua Nutao long ago.
The throne room fell quiet.
"Monster…" Koyuki finally muttered through gritted teeth.
The Konoha ninja silently bowed and left the hall. Watching someone suffer like that... it wasn't right to linger.
Outside, snow continued falling endlessly, blanketing everything in white.
Three figures—Sasuke, Neji, and Shikamaru—walked side by side through the snow.
Neji suddenly stopped. "Seeing her so heartbroken… makes me miss my mother, too. I wonder how she's doing alone."
"You're a good son," Sasuke said. "When we get back, spend time with your family. Don't be like me. I never really knew mine… and now I can't."
The rare admission from Sasuke surprised both of them.
"Hey now, let's not get too gloomy," Shikamaru cut in with a smile. "Let's talk about something cheerful."
Sasuke teased, "Easy for you to say. You had your parents and two childhood friends. You're probably the happiest of us all."
Neji nodded in agreement.
Compared to Sasuke's tragedy and Neji's loss, Shikamaru had everything.
Unexpectedly, Shikamaru smiled bitterly. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?"
Sasuke and Neji looked at him, confused.
"I had it rough too. In some ways… maybe even rougher."
He pulled out a cigarette and offered it.
Sasuke shook his head. "I don't smoke."
Neji waved it off too.
Shrugging, Shikamaru lit one up for himself.
"My family didn't like me."
"My grandfather and father were cold and harsh. They'd glare at me with killing intent like I was their enemy. No matter how hard I tried… I was never good enough for them."